Supporting means for car doors



June 2.0, 1933- E. .J. FEHR ET AL 9 5 SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Filed Sept. 20, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l -f/\/v/v TOP-5- EUGENE J FEHE CHEL LUTE June 20, 1933. E. J. FEHR ET AL SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Filed Sept. 20, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 CHEL. LL/T'E KEN/v5 TH J 755w June 20, 1933. E. J. FEHR El AL I SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR odons Filed Sept. 20, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 EUGENE J. FEHE CHEL LUTE KENNETH J. TOE/N Patented June 20, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EUGENE J". FEHR, CARL LU'IE, AND KENNETH J. TOBILN', OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNORS TO CAMEL COMPANY, OF

ILLINOIS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF SUPPORTING MEANS FOR CAR DOORS Application filed September 20, 1929. Serial No. 393,914.

This invention relates to supporting means for car doors and concerns itself with a structure that provides for considerable in and out movements of the door together with means for guiding and forcing the door to partake of such movements.

The invention comprises the novel structure and combination of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of this invention, and in which similar reference numerals refer to similar features in the different views:

Figure 1 is an elevational View of a car door with adjacent parts of the car involving this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged broken sectional view taken upon the line IIII of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, illustrating the door in-elevated position.

en upon the line IV- IV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VV of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line VIVI of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section taken through the lever connection between the two retainer sections.

Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view take upon the line VIIIVIII of Figure Figure 9 is a sectional view taken in the same plane as Figure 8 but with parts omitted and showing the door in elevated position.

Figure 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken upon the line X-X of Figure 7.

In referring to the drawings which illustrate one embodiment of'this invention, the door is represented by the reference numeral 1 and is provided along its lower margin with end castings 2 and 3 and center castings 4 and 5, which are for a similar purpose in vthat they support and carry a ball or roller retainer 6, which is preferably made in two smilar sections and joined at their adjacent ends in a manner that will later appear.

The castings 2, 3, 4 and 5 have bearmg recesses for receiving bearing plugs 7 which are secured in the ends of the ball retainer sections. Each recess in the different castings has an upwardly extending groove or notch 8, best shown in Figure 3. It will be noted that the notch 8 in each casting is cocentrically positionel with respect to the center line thereof and the outer wall of each notch is flush with the outer wall of the bearing recess. The inner wall of each notch terminates in a substantially right angle, the lower surface of which forms a shoulder 9 which in turn merges into a downwardly and inwardly sloping portion 9a as shown in Figures 8 and 9.. Each bearing plug 7 has an upwardly extending projection 10 at one side that is adapted for entering the notch 8 in the casting 1 and a shoulder 7 a terminating in a fulcrum point 7b upon the inner or opposite side that is adapted for engaging the shoulder 7a at its juncture with the sloping F1gure 4 is an enlarged sectional vlew tak-' part 9a as shown in Figure 9 when the same is rocked outwardly with respect to the door for elevating the door. The -center plugs 7 are rigidly connected or formed with an operating handle 11 which is adapted to be swung transversely of the car for oscillating the ball retainer as shown in Figure 3 elevating the door and supporting the same u nits rollers 12 which travel upon a track 1 The roller retainer sections are preferably formed from sheet metal which is bent or stamped toprovide a longitudinal channel or groove with slightly'inturnededges 601 for retaining the rolling elements 12 which are in the form of balls for relative longitudinal movement thereof. The retainer is so formed that the balls contact on a chord 'less-than the diameter so that the same will ing positions 2a and 411 for supporting the door upon the track.

Means are provided for moving the door inwardly when it is lowered so that the retainer rests upon the track, and for moving.

guide brackets 15 which have upwardlyand outwardly sloping surfaces 15a that extend substantially parallel to the sloping surfaces of the lips 13c. Along the upper margin of the door, there is secured an angle bar 16. It will be noted that one flange of this angle bar is attached to the door and the other flange isdirected outwardly for engaging the sloping lipl30 of the weather angle 13. With this construction, it will be apparent that when the door is elevated, the guides 15 will engage the sloping lips 13c and move outwardly carrying the upper end ofthe door outwardly. On the other hand, when the door is lowered, the angle 16 will ride down the sloping surface of the lip 13c and force the upper end of the door'inward- 1y. The lower part of the door is moved inwardly and outwardlytthrough the rocking movements of the ball retainer which is provided with a wing 66 that swings behind the track and retains the door against outward movement when the same is in its lowered position, This wing 66 will also engage the-track 17 and force the lower end of the door inwardly if the door becomes sufficiently removed from the car.

Upon the front door post 28, there is a weather angle 18 (Figure 5) that is deformed to provide a channel or groove 19 to receive an angular weather strip 20. upon the front edge of the-door.

Upon the rear door post 21, there is a weather strip 22 (Figure 6) which is deformed toprovide an outwardly extending bulge 28 against which the door is adapted to abut. Rearwardly of the-bulge 23, there is a groove or channel 24 in a weather strip 22 that is adapted for receiving an enlarged flange 25 on an angular weather strip 26 attached to the door, when the door is moved inwardly by the above described means.

A suitable latch 27 is pivoted to the door for engaging over the operating lever 11 for holdingjthe door in its closed position. It will be noted that in its closed position, the door abuts the front door post'28, and the bulge 23 on the rear weather strip 22.- In ad- '1' dilion. the weather strips on the door (-001)- erate with the weather strips on the car for efiectively excluding the weather.

The door usually rests in frictional engagement with the track 17 as shown in Figure 2. In this position, the ball retainer frictionally engages the track. When it is desired to open or close the door, the operator will unlatch the handle 11 and swing the same outwardly as shown in Figure 3. This movement of the lever 11 will rock the retainer and force the projections 10 of the plugs 7 downwardly and the fulcrum points 76 thereof upwardly against the casings for elevating the door for supporting the same upon its rollers as shown in Figure 9. It will be understood that the balls 12 form the fulcrum'for the lever 11. As the door is elevated, the guides 15 and the rocking movement of the retainer will force the door outwardly as shown in Figure 3. When the lever 11 is released, the door will automatically drop upon the track. In dropping, the door will move inwardly for. the reasons previously set forth and bring the weatherexcluding features into cooperative relation.

We are aware that many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and we therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

We claim as our invention:

1. The combination with a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said opening, of a door for closing said opening, a ball retainer secured to said door for oscillating movements transversely of the door for elevating and lowering the same and cooperating means upon the door and car for moving the door outwardly during its elevating movements, and inwardly during its descending movements.

2. In a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said opening, a door forelosing said opening, a lon itudinally extending ball retainer carried by said door for transversely rocking movements, balls carried by said retainer, a member attached to one margin of the door opening, and having an inwardly sloping portion, and means on said door engaging said sloping portion for moving the door inwardopening, a door forclosing said opening,

anti-frictional and frictional means carried by said door for optionally engaging said track,

track,.a member for operating said means for elevating the door and supporting the same upon said anti-frictional means, a guiding member having an inwardly sloping portion carried by said car, and means on said door engaging said sloping portion for moving said door inwardly and outwardly.

5. In a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said opening, a door for closing said opening a rockable member carried by said door or frictionally supporting said door upon said track when in a predetermined position, antifrictional means carried by said member for supporting said door upon said track when said member is in a second predetermined position, and guiding means on said car and door for movin the same inwardly into sealing relation with the car when said door is frictionally supported by said member.

6. In a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said opening, a door for closing said opening, combined frictional and antifrictional means carried by said door for optionally supporting said door upon said track, cooperating weather-proofing guiding means upon said car and door adapted for coming into cooperative relation when said door is frictionally supported upon said track, and means for moving the door inwardly to bring such weatherproofing means into cooperative relation.

7. In a house car combined frictional and anti-frictional means on said door for alternately supporting said door upon said track through elevating and lowering movements of the door, cooperating means on the door and car for positively moving the door outwardly or inwardly during such movements, and sealing means for the door adapted for coming into sealing relation when the door is moved. inwardly.

8. The combination with a door having castings at its lower margin, a ball retainer having lugs extending into said castin s, balls for supporting said retainer, a track or supporting said balls, said castings and lugs having cooperative shoulders adapted to be brought into coacting relation by'a rocking movement for elevating the door.

9. The combination with a door, a ball retainer attached to the lower margin of the door for rocking movements for elevating and lowering the door, balls in said retainer, a track for said balls, said retainer having depending portions for engaging said track for moving the door inwardly when said door is lowered.

10. In a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said having a sliding door, a

elevating and lowering opening, a member having an inwardly slop-' ing flange adjacent the opposite margin of said opening, a door. means for mounting said door upon said track for inward and outward movement, a pair of members upon said door forming a guideway for, receiving said inclined flange, a weather strip adjacent the rear end of said door opening and having a vertical groove and a weather strip upon the rear margin of thedoor adapted to move into and out of said groove duringinward and outward movements of the door.

11. 'In a house car having a door opening with a track adjacent one margin of said opening, a member having an inwardly sloping flange attached to the car adjacent the opposite margin of said opening, a door, means 1 EUGENE J. FEHR. CARL LUTE. KENNETH J. TOBIN. I 

